Monday, June 21, 2010

I am inspired by Jamie Oliver. He could rest on his laurels and simply open a little pub or two in the English countryside. Or sit by and write books to capitalize on his success. I get the impression, however, that will not suffice. It seems that Jaime wants to make the world a better place. Or, at least, a better place to eat. I appreciate his message. I too struggle with putting healthy, satisfying food on the table every evening (and let's be honest, it doesn't happen every evening).

Jaime wants everyone to have the knowledge and the opportunity to enjoy good food. Fresh food. And by doing so he plans to deal a massive blow to the likes of obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes. He is trying to encourage us to get back into the kitchen and cook for ourselves and our families, thereby cutting out the fast and overly processed foods that are making us sick. And fat. And depressed.

One concept I have incorporated into my kitchen routine is Jaime's Jam Jar Dressings. The dressing is, after all, the most important part of the salad. The dressing makes the salad delicious. It makes it fun to eat. Eating your veggies should not be a chore! The other good news is that our bodies absorb far more of the nutrients from salads because of the the presence of oil and acid in the dressing. Making the dressing in old jam jars is a quaint and practical solution. I just throw the leftovers in the fridge and use them the next night.

Here are three of my favorites:

French dressing

Peel and finely chop ¼ of a clove of garlic. Put the garlic, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of white or red wine vinegar, and 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the lid on the jar and shake well.

Lemon dressing

Put 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Squeeze in the juice of 1 lemon. Put the lid on the jar and shake well.

Balsamic dressing

Put 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar into a jam jar with a pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the lid on the jar and shake well.

Easy peasy! And I'm sure you see the common denominator: a ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part acid (vinegar or lemon). Play around with other varieties and find your personal family favorite. You will be amazed how much better your salad tastes with a fresh, homemade dressing. This is an easy way to liven up your salad and remove some preservatives and additives from your family's diet!